The Last Session

Synopsis

The Last Session is partly based on composer Steve Schalchlin's own experiences and was written in an era in when AIDS was a terrifying and growing epidemic for which the treatment was largely experimental. Set in a recording studio in 1996, singer/songwriter, Gideon is tired of being ill and ready to give up. He's holding one last session to record the most important album of his life. To show his undying love to his partner, he plans to record a musical letter of farewell. For this last session, he reunites with some old friends and is joined by an unexpected visitor, who shares Gideon's Christian faith and for whom Gideon's sexuality changes everything. The Last Session tells Gideon's story: of faith, love and hope and of the search for a reason to go on in the face of pain, indignity and adversity.

Our Review:

9 October 2012

The Last Session - first seen in New York in 1997 and now making its belated European debut - threatens at times to be very, very good.

With moments of gut-wrenching emotion and genuinely affecting lyrics, the show takes a bold step away from the heritage of larger musical theatre, and tries to do something much more powerful: to tell a single, painful, eventually heartrending human story while realistically using music to supplement the action.

Singer-songwriter Gideon (Darren Day) is a long-term sufferer of HIV/Aids. Ready to surrender in his fight against the disease he gathers his nearest and dearest musical artists to record one final album for his partner of 13 years, Jack, to remember him by.

The set constitutes a wonderfully reproduced recording studio, complete with sound booth, platinum disks and lurking studio manager Jim (wonderfully played by Ron Emslie), the red walls evocative of Aids charities around the world. The single keyboard accompan...

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Latest User Review

Jane Harley - 27 October 2012:

really loved the show - the vocals were awesome - superb cast...should be on a bigger stage! Very moving and funny....

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